."

"You were his target, I make no doubt," said Barthelemy, "but by reason
of the throng he had no certain aim."

"After we broke into the bastille, I can find no man who has set eyes on
him," and I cursed the cordelier for very rage.

"He is well away, if he stays away: you and I need scarce any longer pray
for eyes in the backs of our heads. But what make we next?"

"I have but one thought," I said: "to pluck the Maid out of the hands of
the English, for now men say that she is sold to them by Jean of
Luxembourg. They mean to take her to Arras, and so by Crotoy at the
mouth of Seine, and across Normandy to Rouen. Save her France must, for
the honour of France."

"My mind is the same," he said, and fell into a muse. "Hence the
straight road, and the shortest," he said at last, "is by Beauvais on to
Rouen, where she will lie in chains," and drawing his dagger he scratched
lines on the bridge parapet with its point. "Here is Compiegne; there,
far to the west, is the sea, and here is Rouen. That straight line,"
which he scratched, "goes to Rouen from Compiegne. Here, midway, is
Beauvais, whereof we spoke, which town we hold. But there, between us
and Beauvais, is Clermont, held by Crevecoeur for the Burgundians, and
here, midway between Beauvais and Rouen, is Gournay, where Kyriel and the
Lord Huntingdon lie with a great force of English. Do you comprehend? We
must first take Clermont ere we can ride to rescue the Maid at Rouen!"

"The King should help us," I said. "For what is the army that has
delivered Compiegne but a set of private bands, under this gentleman's
flag or that, some with Boussac, some with Xaintrailles, some with a
dozen others, and victuals are hard to come by."

"Ay, many a peaceful man sits by the fire and tells how great captains
should have done this, and marched there, never thinking that men fight
on their bellies. And the King should help us, and march with D'Alencon
through Normandy from the south, while our companies take Clermont if we
may, and drive back the English and Burgundians. But you know the King,
and men say that the Archbishop of Reims openly declares that the Maid is
rightly punished for her pride. He has set up a mad shepherd-boy to take
her place, Heaven help him! who can fight as well as that stone can
swim," and he dropped a loose stone over the bridge into the water.

"Whoever stays at home, we take the field," I said; "let us seek counsel
of Xaintraille